Monday, November 8, 2010

another removed grisaille

So many excellent reasons for making a grisaille.
Let me name a few:
1.I use it to figure out the shapes.
2.Since color is not a pieces of the puzzle it's easier to change things .
3. If you can't make the mood in value, you  have no chance in color.

Reasons to "remove it."
Keeping allows the dark to have more color and is somewhat easier to keep transparent.
The value are noted for reference, yet you aren't completely wedded to them.

7 comments:

Brian McGurgan said...

Lovely grisaille, Loriann - I like the subtle gradations and the directional strokes of light and dark. Are you finding that you work these grisailles differently in terms of technique than you would a pastel with color? Different approaches to applying or rubbing? Use of erasers to lighten areas? Are you doing these with a single dark color of pastel or do you combine darks? The pigment here seems to have a warm, almost violet hue to it, like Vasari Shale.

loriann signori said...

Wow Brian, I can always count on you to have some excellent questions. It's mainly one color...about 99.8%. I found I wanted it a little darker in the end and added black in the shore line area. Yes, I am working differently but It makes me think...why work differently just for these? I really enjoy adding directional marks with erasers. When i do these it's almost like getting in a zen like state. The drawing speaks to me. I only use a reference in the very beginning for the abstract shape ideas. Maybe I can carry it farther in color. These certainly do mood better than my color work.
The pastel I used in this one is a Diane Townsend..although I don't know which because I strip the wrappers off right away.
Thanks for your thought provoking questions!

Caroline Simmill said...

This is just stunning Loriann I find this entry really interesting as I am drawing trees now on a daily basis. When you said a grisaille is this another word for tonal study as I assume you are using pastels here instead of oil paint. Please do explain the process of how this was created if you get the time. Thanks.

Donna T said...

This is such a strong composition, Loriann. I would love to see how you interpret this in color. Maybe you could do a summer and fall version or layer on some fog. Whatever you do - this has good bones!

SamArtDog said...

This is as stately as an old engraving. You don't know the location or who did it or when. But you DO know you can't stop looking at it and asking all those questions. You make values look easy. Hah.

p.s. Happy kitties! Rescue, rescue, rescue. Life, life, life. Thank you.

loriann signori said...

Hi Caroline, yes, it is a tonal study. I used to make these underneath my oil paintings- a grisaille or imprimatura. I am just calling them "removed grisailles" because I have taken them away from my actual painting...they are only there in spirit. I can explain more another time. The quick answer is that I erase into pastel... more later!
PS Thank you!!!!

loriann signori said...

Hi Donna and thank you..... we will see where it goes;-)

Hi Sam..thanks so much for your kind words. the kittens say hi.